Identity
by Peter Smith
Summary: In my latest one-shot, Jason worries that the Power Rangers are starting to lose their identity, and forget who they are. Meanwhile, a young friend of the team is losing sleep thanks to the monsters living in his cupboard...


Here's the fourth story in the series of one-shots. This story is the Jason point-of-view story. This story takes place a few months prior to "The Little Guy", so it's happening in the same kind of time-frame. The Rangers have been Rangers for several years, by this point. And I do love a Jason story. I think Jason is a fascinating character, once you take the time to really flesh him out, and getting inside his head is always interesting, and fun. In this story, because we have members from both the Junior and Senior team interacting, we get to see how they play off one another. Anyway, feel free to leave a review, and please enjoy! :)

* * *

><p><strong>Identity<strong>

As children, we are told that the monsters in the shadows aren't real.

The day I started to believe this was one of the worst mistakes of my life.

When I was fifteen, I was given the opportunity to join a group that would stand up to the monsters, and fight back against the bullies and tyrants who would threaten the Earth. Alongside my best friends, our mission was simple. Defend the helpless, wherever we were needed. We were given fantastic weapons, invulnerable suits and even giant robots to pilot. And Jason Scott became a genuine, larger-than-life superhero. But for the first time in my life, I was part of something special, something so much bigger than myself. Even on our worst days, when the sky is falling and victory seems impossible, I don't regret it. Not for a second.

It's my job to lead the team into battle. It's not something I take lightly. They trust me, and I hope I never let them down. Beside me is my best friend Pete, who's steadily become co-leader over the last couple of years. With all the battles we've fought, I've tried my best to teach him as much as I could about tactics, and how to win a fight before the first punch is thrown. But some things can't be taught. I worry sometimes that I take control too readily, and don't give Pete the chance to develop his own instincts.

Like I said, I take the job seriously.

We've been doing this for a while now, but this past year has been something else. In the last few months, we've gone from dodging ghosts and digging up buried treasure on Lord Howe Island, to battling a rogue team of renegade Rangers on the faraway alien world of Naribia. After recently stopping a deranged cobra demon from levelling the pyramids, the Egyptian government has invited us to a street parade they want to throw in our honour, while on Valentine's Day, we met Eros, the god of love. He showed up to help on a case, and enjoyed himself so much that he's become a regular visitor. I think having a genuine Greek god on speed-dial sums up our lives pretty well for the last year. We're all just starting to see how big the world really is.

Our college classes had finished for the day, and Billy and I were walking home. I'm earning a double degree in physical education and political science, and enjoying it a lot. Despite the workload, college is actually a pretty cool place. If nothing else, the schedule makes saving the world a hell of a lot easier.

"The Power Rangers were asked to lecture the theoretical physics students on dimensional rifts and the associated electromagnetic phenomena," Billy said, as we reached Currimundi. "It was a tempting offer. The idea that fracture points exist in the space-time continuum has always fascinated me."

"Well you're definitely the man to talk to," I said. "When's the lecture?"

"Alas, I replied in the negative. It would compromise my secret identity as the Blue Ranger, since my thesis project is a device to measure and detect such rifts."

I grinned. That was Billy. He's my age, and yet, he is the smartest person on this and most other planets. He gets quantum physics like the rest of us get the alphabet. I've always loved listening to him talk, even if I don't have the faintest idea of what he's saying. Still, I've found lately that if I concentrate _really_ hard, I can actually pick out a word or two, here and there.

"Hey guys!" came a voice. We looked ahead to see Peter and Sarah jogging down the street towards us. "Wait up," Pete continued.

Four years younger than Billy and I, Peter and Sarah are both Rangers on our junior team. They're cousins from a close family who grew up together, but above all else, they're great friends. Sarah is athletic and confident, and has never found a sport she didn't want to try. Pete's artistic and more conservative as a leader, but he reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. Plenty of talent, and I think he just needs someone to believe in him.

"So how was college?" Pete asked as they reached us.

"It was a cruisy day," I replied. "At the moment, I am blissfully free of assignments. Which is good, actually. I feel like I haven't spoken to everybody in days."

"So you haven't heard?" Sarah asked.

"We've been in classes all day," Billy replied. "What's the news?"

"Eros has offered to give the whole team a tour of Mount Olympus," Peter began, and broke out into a beaming smile. "He's basically invited us to hang out with the gods for the weekend."

I turned to him, not quite believing my ears. "Are you serious?" I asked.

Sarah nodded. "We just heard it ourselves. We had to come and find you."

I glanced to Billy. He was the quintessential scientist, and always had trouble reconciling the supernatural beings we often encountered with a worldview built on unflinching rationality. But behind his glasses, he was suddenly grinning like somebody who'd just won every lottery ever.

"These… beings," he said after a short pause, and I fought to hide a smile, "would've been personally familiar with Aristotle, Pythagoras, Hippocrates and Plato. The opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of some of the greatest minds in history is just overwhelming. I fear I may need to recline soon."

With a laugh, we all turned onto my street. Just up the road on top of Battery Hill stood the rambling Wentworth house, an ancient mansion that had been there longer than anyone in the city could remember. The house was enormous, towering over the surrounding properties and groaning ominously on windy days. But ahead of us, a young boy was making his way up to the street when he caught sight of us. He grinned, and rushed back.

"Jason!" he shouted.

"Hey," I smiled, and playfully ruffled his blond hair. "Guys, this is Rory Jenkins, one of my neighbours. His family moved into the Wentworth place a couple of months back. Rory, I don't think you've met my friends. This is Billy, Sarah, and Sarah's cousin Peter."

"It's nice to meet you," he said, but looked away and let out a gulping yawn.

"What's wrong little man?" I asked. "Not getting enough sleep?"

Rory looked around quickly before lowering his voice. "I'm so tired," he said. "The monsters in my cupboard make so much noise all night. They keep me awake."

I knelt down to meet his gaze. "Then here's what you need to do," I said. "The next time they give you trouble, tell them that I'll come and sort 'em out for you."

Rory looked uncertain for a second then laughed. After wishing us a good afternoon, he ran back up towards his house.

"Cutest kid in the world," Sarah said. "But monsters in the cupboard?"

"The world probably doesn't make much sense when you're six," Pete replied. "I was scared of everything when I was that young."

"Still are," Sarah teased.

"The innocence of youth," Billy said wistfully. "Rory probably just lacks the life experience to be able to properly comprehend quite normal, ordinary phenomena. He's likely overhearing pipes, electronic systems on a timer, or even a wayward possum."

"He's a good kid," I said. "I hope he's okay. His family is from way out of town…"

"Speaking of out-of-town," Sarah began. "Are you guys all going to Cairo next week for the parade? I've got a netball tournament, so if you can give my apologies to the Egyptian president, that'd be great."

* * *

><p>"Just keep on a straight course," I said, climbing onto the hull and closing the hatch behind me. "That's my boy." Crossing towards where Pete was sitting, I dropped down into the deck-chair next to his, and looked up at the stars. "Autopilot's on," I continued, and reached for the thermos of hot chocolate. "Unless the wind picks up, it should be smooth sailing."<p>

"Is there a better way to spend a Wednesday night?" Pete murmured.

We were sitting on top of the Red Dragon Thunderzord as it cruised low over Antarctica, watching as the aurora australis flickered and danced across the starry canvas high above. It was a perfect night, and the endless expanse of stars reflected on the frozen landscape below. We'd been collecting readings from the Ross Ice Shelf, and were taking a quick break while the information we'd gathered was uploaded to a distant research station. With the dragon running on silent, there was no light or noise pollution. I've always felt very small coming here. Between the ice and the stars, it feels like we're the only people on Earth. But having said that, it always makes me feel alive.

"I guess not," I said.

"Everything okay man?"

I took a long sip of chocolate before replying. "Do you remember when we used to live normal lives?"

Peter looked around. "No, actually," he said with a smile.

"I'm serious. With everything that happens to us, doesn't it just blow your mind sometimes?"

"It has been pretty wild," Pete said. "For the record, if my parents ask, we're all just going camping next weekend. But you know, I think it's part of the job."

"Yeah, but do you ever wonder if we're getting too big?" I asked, and met his gaze. "That we're trying to do too much, or be too much, for too many people?" I paused. "Do you ever get scared that we're starting to forget who we are?"

Pete sat up. "What makes you say that?"

I waved my arms. "This. Everything. A couple of years ago we used to unwind by watching TV and doing each other's homework. I still can't believe we got away with that for so long. But now? You don't think we're losing sight of the bigger picture?"

"I don't think that means we're forgetting who we are."

"Maybe you're right," I sighed. "I don't know, I guess I'm just feeling overwhelmed. It's been such a big year," and I looked away, my gaze settling on the frozen mountains on the horizon.

"Well don't forget," Pete said. "Next month we have to head back to Naribia to help rebuild the city that the rogue Rangers trashed."

"I had forgotten about that," I replied. Finishing my chocolate, I stood up. "You want to get back to work?"

* * *

><p>I've only got a couple of classes on Thursday. After spending the morning on campus, I retreated to the park with a backpack full of books I needed to read. I'd just settled down under a shady tree with 'Egyptian for Dummies' when I looked up and saw Rory and his older brother Sam, standing over near the basketball courts. Sam was one year younger than me, and he seemed like a decent guy. We played together on a local soccer team on the weekends.<p>

But as I stood up to say hello, I saw that Rory looked really troubled, and I frowned as he sniffled and wiped away a tear. Sam leaned down to give him a hug, but it didn't seem to do any good. Stowing my books away, I made my way towards them, just as Rory stepped over to the swings in the playground.

"Hey Sam," I called. Sam turned to see me, and nodded a greeting. "What's up with Rory?"

"He's still talking about the monsters that live in his cupboard," he replied. "He says they're getting angrier. But the poor guy's jumping at shadows these days. It's starting to freak us all out."

I glanced over to where Rory was swinging by himself, gazing forlornly at the dirt. "When I was a kid," I began, "everyone in town said the old Wentworth house was haunted. We never went near the place if we could help it."

"Everyone told me the stories when we first moved in," Sam replied. "But the spookiest thing that's ever happened to me was a door that closed by itself. And it was a windy day. Rory's always had a hyper-active imagination. I just don't know what to do, you know?"

"Hey, while you're here, I have to cancel soccer on the weekend. I won't be here. You'll have to find another goalie for the day."

"Oh, okay. Where are you going?"

I thought of Olympus. "Just out of town," I said. "But _way_ out of town."

"Fair enough," Sam said, and looked back to his brother. "I'll bring Rory, it'll give us a chance to get out of the house. Our parents are away for the weekend. Thanks for telling me."

I nodded, and we parted. But as I walked away, I couldn't get the look on Rory's face out of my mind.

_They were getting angrier._

* * *

><p>"It's great to see you Aunty Bev," Sarah smiled, leaning forward to give her and Peter's great aunt a hug, while her parents fussed in the kitchen preparing tea and biscuits. "I'm going to be busy all weekend, so I'm glad for the chance to catch up."<p>

Bev chortled. "You kids grow up so fast," she said. "It always gets away from you, doesn't it? The last time I was in town, I could hold you in my arms. Peter too."

Sarah sat down on the couch. "I can't even remember the last time you visited," she said.

"It was years ago," Bev replied. "But this whole town has changed so much. You know I used to live here as a girl?" Sarah shook her head, and Bev continued. "It's true. It's been so long. I even saw that the old house on the hill has a family living in it these days. Imagine that."

"You mean the old Wentworth house?" Sarah asked.

"Oh yes dear," Bev replied. "It was big news back in the sixties. The family living there just vanished. The police found all their clothes and furniture, but the family themselves disappeared into thin air. Nobody ever found any trace of them. It was one of the town's greatest unsolved mysteries. But I suppose these days, you have a lot more going on."

Sarah looked away. "Oh no," she murmured, already climbing to her feet.

"Is something the matter?" Bev asked.

"I'm really sorry, Aunty Bev," Sarah said. "But I need to go."

* * *

><p>I'd just finished packing when there was a knock on my bedroom door, and Billy stepped into my room with his own backpack around his shoulders. I picked up both an umbrella, and a can of mace, and slid them both as far down the side as they would go.<p>

"You just never know," I said.

Billy grinned. "I must say, at this point, I am beyond exuberant!"

"… okay."

"Jason!" came Peter's voice from outside. I turned to the window and saw Peter and Sarah, racing down the street towards my house. From his tone, I was immediately on high alert, throwing my backpack onto the bed and racing downstairs to meet them.

I glanced from Sarah to Pete as they reached the patio. They looked like they'd just run over here, and they both took a second to catch their breath. "What's wrong?" I asked, as Billy joined us.

"We have a problem," Sarah said, and immediately relayed what she'd heard about the Wentworth house.

"Sarah came to get me straight after she left," Pete continued. "We went to the library and did some digging through property records and old newspaper clippings."

"Yeah, get this," Sarah said. "It turns out that there is a long history of bizarre things happening in that house. Pets being killed, people going missing, strange lights, voices in the night; pretty much everything you could imagine."

"Plus, the ownership deed is a revolving door," Pete said. "All the way back to the seventies, nobody has lasted there longer than a couple of years. More to the point, the real estate agents never mention anything, since houses with a history of gory deaths tend not to sell."

Billy turned to me. "So the monsters your friend Rory has been experiencing…"

"Might be real," Pete finished.

My heart sank. The boys were in trouble. And the worst part about it was that Rory had been asking for help _twice_, and I'd ignored him both times. "We have to…" I began, but I suddenly remembered what Sam had told me yesterday. "They're there alone right now!" Without waiting, I took off like a shot, sprinting out onto the street and up the hill.

We'd missed it, and now two people were in danger.

With my arms pumping and my feet pounding the bitumen, I scanned the top of the hill and soon spotted Rory in his front yard, crying his eyes out.

Something terrible had happened.

I leaped onto the pavement and jumped the fence without slowing down, coming to a screeching halt by the garden path. Seeing me, Rory jumped up and raced over. I knelt down, wrapped my arms around him and picked him up. He was shaking.

"It's gonna be okay," I said, holding him close. Even standing there, I felt a chill. Something in those dark windows was staring back. "Don't worry Rory. Everything will be okay. What happened?"

He gulped, and I had to fight to hear his voice. "It's Sam," he stuttered quietly. "They took Sam! He was in my room, trying to show me there was nothing to be scared of and… they grabbed him!"

"They took him?" I repeated quietly.

"I didn't know what else to do, I just ran, and, and…"

"It's okay," I repeated, and gently lowered him to the ground. Fishing around in my pocket for a piece of paper and a pen, I scribbled down a phone number. "Here's what I need you to do. Go next door, call this number, and ask for Trini Kwan. Got that? Tell her everything. She'll know what to do."

Rory nodded shakily. "What about you?" he asked.

"I'm gonna go get your brother back," I said.

Once Rory was safe, I turned back to the house and marched up to the front door. It was still ajar from where Rory had escaped. But as I stepped onto the landing, the door slammed shut by itself. It was a warning, clear and unmistakeable.

Stay out.

"Like hell," I growled. Spinning around on my heel, I kicked the door off its hinges.

The house was cool and quiet as I stepped inside, my footsteps echoing off the timber floor. Outside, the setting sun was throwing long shadows through the empty house. There was something unnerving about the shadows, though. They seemed darker, and a lot more menacing than they should've been. I had no idea what I was going to find, and hadn't really had the time to figure out a plan beyond rescuing Sam. My first priority was to get to him, and I'd figure the rest out later. I couldn't even morph, out of risk of exposing my identity.

"Sam?" I called. Nothing.

With the bottom floor empty, I made my way over to the staircase, the floorboards creaking and groaning beneath my shoes. Reaching the second floor, I peered down the hallway to the door with a cheerful 'Rory's Room!' sign, and slowly made my way towards it. Wary of ambush, I gently swung the door open and stepped inside. It was a typical six year old's room, with books and toys scattered around the floor and bed. I turned to the cupboard, just as the doors were yanked shut by some unseen force.

"Oh no you don't," I said.

Reaching for the handles, I wrenched the doors open, nearly tearing them off their hinges. They slammed back against the wall as I stepped back in shock. The inside of the cupboard was black, filled with a thick, malevolent shadow that pulsated like it was alive. With my heart pounding, I stepped forward to take a closer look…

…when a clawed hand whipped out of the shadows and grabbed the collar of my shirt. Before I had time to react, other hands joined it, and I was dragged forward.

And the last thing I heard as the world went dark was the cupboard door slamming shut behind me.

* * *

><p>As I raced away, Billy ducked back inside to grab his backpack, explaining that it might be useful. Following me up the street, they reached the Wentworth house as I disappeared inside. Sarah stepped away to check on Rory, and returned a minute later.<p>

"He's okay," she said. "He told me what happened. Jason gave him Trini's number before he went in, so the cavalry's on the way."

"But Jason's already gone inside," Billy said. "And he's unmorphed. We can't afford to wait for back-up."

Peter stepped forward. "We are the back-up," he said. "C'mon."

The front door was hanging off its hinges as the three Rangers stepped onto the landing and made their way inside. The house was quiet, with no sign of me, Sam or anything else.

"Boy I'm wishing I had my sword right now," Pete murmured, sweeping his gaze through the building.

Something in Billy's backpack beeped. All three jumped a foot in the air.

"Billy!" hissed Sarah.

"My apologies," Billy grimaced. Sliding his bag onto a table, he reached in and pulled free a calculator-size gadget with blinking lights and wires hanging loose. "It's my thesis project, a dimensional rift device. I was working on it this afternoon and I must've forgot to switch it off. It's picking up extraordinarily unusual electromagnetic readings." Behind his thick glasses, Billy's brow fell. "This is showing all the classic signs of a dimensional rift, somewhere in the house."

"Then you need to check out down here and confirm those readings," Peter said. "Sarah and I will look upstairs."

Reaching the landing, Sarah and Peter turned to the first doorway and stepped inside. From the posters and textbooks visible, they guessed correctly that it was Sam's room. Sarah glanced down to her wrist, and tapped Peter on the shoulder.

"I don't know much about electromagnetic stuff," she said, "but my watch just stopped."

Peter nodded. "Let's try Rory's room."

A few seconds later, the two Rangers stepped into Rory's bedroom. Peter carefully made his way over to the cupboard, its two doors shut tight. Not sure what he was about to see, he hesitated a second then quickly threw them open… and saw clothes, boxes of toys, and the back of the wall. He even reached in and rapped his knuckles against the wall, just to make sure.

Behind him, Sarah frowned. "Anything?"

"Nothing," Peter replied, about to continue when his voice trailed off. He held up his hand to indicate silence. There was an electric tingle in the air, something he couldn't see but could definitely feel. Turning back to the cupboard, he noticed the hair on his arm was now standing on end.

Something was really wrong here.

"Get Billy," Peter said tersely. "Go!"

* * *

><p>Rory's bedroom, the house, and all of Caloundra vanished in a swirl of light, and I found myself standing on a dark, featureless plain. There was little light. Far above my head, unfamiliar stars and constellations looked down from an inky black sky, while three crescent moons hung just above the distant horizon. It was totally quiet. There wasn't even the sound of wind.<p>

"Sam?" I called out.

My voice echoed across the barren landscape, and I heard a sob from somewhere behind me.

"Jason? Is that you?"

I turned to find Sam crouched on the ground behind me, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. I knelt down beside him. There was a scratch on his forehead, but I couldn't see any other injuries. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He looked up. I could see the desperate fear in his eyes. "Rory's monsters were real," he said softly.

"Yeah, I know."

He lowered his voice. "Jason I'm scared."

"Me too."

This caught him by surprise, and he looked back to me. "You are?" he asked.

"Well, I _was_," I said. "Now I'm just _mad_."

Sam was about to reply when we heard it; soft hisses and growls, drifting out of the shadows and growing steadily louder. We weren't alone. I looked up to see a wide circle of eyes, all glowing green in the low light. Whatever they were, there must've been hundreds of them. They were the same size as house-cats and moved swiftly on all fours, scraping their claws through the dirt as they closed in around us. They had hairless, sinewy bodies and mouths bristling with jagged teeth. Anticipating easy prey, they moved in without fear.

Keeping as close to Sam as possible, I stood up.

"You made two big mistakes today," I began, and Sam heard the growing anger in my voice. "You spent a long time terrifying that boy, because you know how fear works. Which tells me that it'll work on _you_." I paused. "And the second mistake? You think you've won. You think that we're trapped in here with you."

One of the creatures took to the air, streaking towards me with its claws outstretched. My fist shot out and I caught the beast in midair, wrapping my fingers around its throat. Another two leaped towards me – I spun around, using the creature in my grip to bludgeon the second before taking out the third in mid-jump.

The squeals of triumph on all sides silenced mid-cackle.

"But we're not," I continued, lowering my voice. "_Because you're trapped in here with me._"

* * *

><p>"I have to confess, I'm not entirely sure this will be successful," Billy murmured, hurriedly rewiring his device while sitting on the bedroom floor. "I designed it merely to <em>detect<em> dimensional rifts."

"Well we need it to open them," Peter said, and turned back to the open cupboard. "Sam's in there, and so is Jason. And we're damn well getting them back."

Billy pulled free a couple of wires and threw them away. "And if something is waiting for us on the other side?" he asked.

Peter nodded to Sarah, standing guard opposite with a cricket bat held high. "It'll be in for a shock," he said.

"Well I think it's ready," Billy said. "I just need some more power." Plugging the device into a power socket, he stood up. "I would've liked to test it first. Unknowns make for bad science. But without the benefit of time…" and he held the device up, pointed it at the open cupboard, and switched it on.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. But as they stood there, they heard a growing hum, and finally, the noise of something cracking. The air at the back of the cupboard seemed to shimmer and then rip, a golden fracture of light splintering open in midair. The three Rangers sighed with relief. It had worked, and the rift was opening right where they needed it to.

Billy glanced down to the device. "Wait…"

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked. "Is it not working?"

"Negative," Billy replied. "It's working _too_ well. Something's trying to open the rift from the other side."

"Guys!" Pete shouted. As the rift continued to fracture, a very human hand suddenly reached through, stretching out towards them. Sarah dropped the bat and grabbed the person's hand, wrapping her other hand around their wrist and pulling. Slowly but surely, Sam Jenkin's face appeared, then his shoulder and body. Finally, Sarah had dragged him right through to safety, and he fell in a heap onto the carpet. He looked disorientated and bruised, but otherwise seemed okay.

He looked up. "Where's Rory?" he asked hoarsely.

"He's safe, he's next door," Sarah nodded. "C'mon, let's go." Helping him to his feet, she put his arm around her shoulder, and carried him out.

Peter turned back to the rift just as another hand appeared. He recognised the arm and wrist watch instantly, and wrapped the hand in an iron grip. Putting his foot on the wall, he braced himself and pulled with all his might. Pushing my face through the rift, I smiled as I saw my friends, with Rory's room around them. As Billy stood monitoring the device, I pushed further through the portal, Pete dragging me all the way. Finally, I forced my body through and collapsed forward, landing on Peter and sending us both to the floor. But as we turned back to look, Billy hit a button on the device. With a noise that sounded like faraway thunder, the rift sealed shut and faded away.

We'd done it.

* * *

><p>Rory and Sam were sitting on the grass with their neighbours by the time the rest of us stepped out into the evening. They were both shaken but unhurt. Ambulances were just starting to roll up the hill, which means Rory had gotten the right message to Trini. As Billy joined Sarah with the two boys, I sat down on the curb, and Peter dropped down beside me.<p>

"You okay?" he asked.

I looked over to the Jenkins brothers. "I'm mad."

"I know," he replied. "And I know exactly who you're angry with. But we're all just as much to blame here. This wasn't your fault."

"Of course it was," I said, meeting his gaze. "Rory was practically begging for help, and we were so caught up in all this other stuff that we didn't listen. I'm supposed to be the leader, I should've done something, and they almost paid for it with their lives."

"But they didn't," Pete said, and nudged me with his shoulder. "Look, you're right, what you said in Antarctica. But c'mon. Someone needed you, and you _ran_. Straight towards them, and then kicked down the door to get to them. That's 'cause you're _you_. Distractions or not, that's who you are, Jase. And who you always will be."

I sighed. "Promise you'll always be here to remind me?"

"I promise," he said, and we stood up. "Although I can't help but wonder, is the Jenkins family safe? What happened in there?"

"I talked to them," I said. "We cut a deal."

"A deal?"

"Yeah," I said. "Whatever those things were, they'll never step foot on this planet ever again, provided I stay at least twenty metres away from that house for the rest of my natural life. They were asking for twenty kilometres, but we negotiated._ However_," and Peter watched as my face grew dark, and I turned back to the house. "If I ever hear about so much as one window closing by itself, _I'll be back_. Do you hear me?"

From somewhere just out of sight, we both heard screams of absolute terror. Wherever they were, I suspect they'd gotten the message. Satisfied, I glanced back to Pete. "You wanna get out of here?"

"Oh yeah," Pete replied.

"By the way, Billy was telling me how you figured out where I was. I'm proud of you. You handled that by yourself."

"Well if you keep on running headfirst into trouble, somebody has to."

I laughed, wrapped my arm around his shoulder, and gave him a hug.

* * *

><p>We had our commitments and, for the most part, we honoured them. I gave Eros my apologies, but a couple of the Rangers spent a few hours on Olympus Saturday afternoon. We decided to let Naribia take care of itself for a while, and passed on the parade in Cairo. Although we did convince the Egyptian government to donate the money they'd allocated for the parade to the city's homeless and underprivileged.<p>

That night, I sat down with the team, and we all agreed that we'd been getting too distracted. It'd be hard, but we needed to take time to focus on the basics. To remember why we do what we do, and try not to get in over our heads.

See, some days I still wonder if I'm doing too much. Other days, I'm scared that I'm not doing enough. But at least, with my friends beside me, I know that everyday, I'm doing everything I can to make the world a better place.

Who am I?

My name is Jason.

And I fight monsters.

The End.


End file.
